The Witchcraft of Salem
Village
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It is hard to believe that
Salem Village was once a normal place, but it was. Salem
Village was once ordinary. It was a strict town. It didn't
allow merrymaking due to its Puritan religion. Girls didn't
have much fun.
Almost every day, nine girls
snuck into the Parris' kitchen to hear Tituba, the Parris'
West Indian slave tell stories of magic, superstition, and
witchcraft. These were all things that weren't allowed in
the Puritan religion.
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Soon Elizabeth Parris, Abigail
Williams, and Ann Putnam started acting strangely. They had
nightmares and sometimes seemed to go into a trance. Samuel Parris
called a doctor. The doctor didn't really know what was going on with
the girls. He said the girls were afflicted by the devil. Soon all
nine girls who had listened to Tituba's stories were afflicted. The
girls began to accuse other people of being witches. The accused
witches were brought to trial. During the trials, the girls went into
fits and claimed that they were being hurt by the accused witch. Time
after time this happened.
Nineteen people accused of witchcraft
were killed and a number of others died in prison. Eighteen were hung
including Rebecca Nurse and Sarah Good. One man, Giles Cory, was
pressed to death by stones. More people were accused, even people
living in different towns.
People began to think the girls were
going overboard. Then suddenly it just stopped. People were let out
of prison, and the Parris left Salem Village. Ann Putnam later made a
public apology.
